Tag: Text

Offices with Cats Help Employees

office-cats

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Cat cafes are on the rise but so are offices where pets are allowed. It has been discovered that pets help in de-stressing people, especially after a long day at work.

Read the article below to find out about a Japanese company that helped their employees be more productive in a “furry” way.

https://www.odditycentral.com/animals/japanese-company-fills-offices-with-cats-to-help-employees-unwind-and-improve-productivity.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. How did a Japanese company come up with this idea?
  2. Do you think having cats in the office can lower stress levels? Why or why not?
  3. Do you think this idea will really increase productivity?
  4. What things help you unwind from work?
  5. What helps you be more productive at work?

Unhealthy Vices

B2 – Upper Intermediate

All of us have habits, be it good or bad. We do these habits as some sort of coping mechanism when we’re stressed. Sometimes it’s done to get pleasure or even to avoid pain.

This article from 2012 proves that you can kick that bad habit any time or any year.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2013/01/15/8-unhealthy-vices-to-extinguish-now

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have any vices or bad habits you’d like to overcome? What are they and how do you plan to extinguish them?
  2. What do you think are the negative effects of vices?
  3. Cite other unhealthy habits that were not mentioned in the article.

20 English Words to Not Say When Travelling

Obama

C1 – Advanced

If you are a frequent traveler or you are involved in the e-commerce industry and have an international clientele, better know these English words to avoid unintended double entendre.

Avoid These 20 English Words When in Other Countries

Discuss:

1. Aside from the ones mentioned in the article, do you know of other English terms that should be avoided when travelling?
2. When you travel to a foreign country do you use English or do you use the language of the country?
3. Are there some Spanish words that foreign people often misuse?

Will Synthetic Vaccine Stop Polio?

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B2 – Upper intermediate

Medical technology has improved radically. It is due to non stop hard work of medical scientists and specialists. They continuously aim for the eradication of deadly diseases with the hope of longer and healthier lives for everyone.

Read the article below to know about the latest advancement in vaccines.

Will Synthetic Vaccine Stop Polio?

Discuss:

1. What is your general opinion of vaccines?
2. Will synthetic vaccine stop polio?
3. How much do you trust modern medical technology?
4. Do you think it’s possible that all diseases will be cured by vaccine?

Will Citizenship Test Make Better Citizens?

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B2 – Upper intermediate

The United States’ Naturalization Test is a test immigrants must pass to become a citizen. However, in Arizona it is an exam all high school students must take as the law requires it. Its goal is to let students contemplate civic awareness and allow them to participate in a democracy.

Will Citizenship Test Make Better Citizens?

Discuss:

1. Is there a similar test that immigrants must take in Spain?
2. What are the common civic activities or events in Spain (Donating blood, volunteer work, etc.)?
3. What do you think of the idea of making all high school students take the naturalization test?
4. Are you very knowledgeable when it comes to your country’s history and government?

Beauty Around the World

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B2 – Upper intermediate

Beauty. What is it really? Is it the shape of one’s eyes, an aquiline nose? Is it a slender waist, or tapering fingers? Or is it an inner quality, a contagious joie de vivre?

Click the link below and see the diversity of beauty as captured by one photographer’s lens. Read the short article and view the 18 photos included.

Photographer captures beauty around the world

Discuss:

1. How do you define beauty?
2. In the interview, photographer Mihaela Noroc said that “beauty means to keep alive your origins and your culture.” In your opinion, what is the connection between a person’s beauty and culture?
3. What do Noroc’s photographs say about beauty? How are the women the same? In what ways are they different?
4. If you could take a snapshot of beauty, who or what would you take a picture of?

A Permanent Vacation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever been on a holiday and just fell in love with the place that you started contemplating on not leaving?

If it sounds crazy or incredible, it doesn’t have to be. For some, packing up their lives and moving to a dream destination has become a reality.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140916-permanent-vacation

Discussion Questions:

1. If you were to go on a holiday now, where would you want to go? Where is your dream destination?
2. Would you ever consider packing up and leaving your current career to go on a permanent vacation in your dream destination?
3. Have you experienced living in another country for at least a year?

Fall Ill When on Holiday

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Most people have probably experienced accomplishing all their tasks right before they go on holiday. In effect, they would subsequently encounter post-work health decline too.

Read the article on the truth about leisure illnesses.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150216-the-truth-about-holiday-illnesses

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the causes of leisure illness?
  2. What do you think are ways to prevent it?
  3. Have you ever experienced leisure sickness? Why did you get sick at the time?
  4. How do you feel before and after going on holiday?
  5. Would you be more conscious about leisure illness now that you are aware it exists? Why or why not?

Robotic Firefighter

C2 – Proficient

Some elements of science fiction are turning into science facts. Case in point,  the use of machines that have humanoid form to do tasks too risky for their Homo sapiens counterparts is slowly but steadily changing operations in various industries.

One such robot is SAFFiR. Read about this firefighting mechanical wonder and watch the video as well.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/12/tech/mci-saffir-robot/index.html?iid=ob_article_organicsidebar_expansion&iref=obnetwork

Discussion Questions:

  1. Describe the robotic firefighter.
  2. What might be its pros and cons?
  3. How do you feel about robots saving human lives in dangerous situations?
  4. Do you think robots would do a better job than human beings in search and rescue operations? Elaborate.
  5. Why do you think some robots are engineered to resemble humans physically?
  6. Should we dread or look forward to the further rise of the machines? Explain.

Are Computers Making Us Less Clever?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In this digital age, humans are growing more and more reliant on technology. We all know that technology is supposed to make our lives easier and more comfortable. However, what do you think are the things that we are losing when we rely too much on computers and smartphones?

Listen to the podcast and be ready to answer some discussions. Take note of new vocabulary words.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/150122

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some skills that you think you may have lost a little due to gadget/technology dependency?
  2. How do you make sure you don’t get de-skilled at something?
  3. In your opinion, how dependent are we on computers? Cite examples of situations that prove your point.
  4. Do you agree that we are dependent on computers and technology? Why or why not?
  5. How dependent are you on your phone? Why do you think this is the case?
  6. Which do you prefer, meeting other people online or speaking with them face-to-face? Why?